The co-star who hated Johnny Depp at first sight: “Don’t cry, don’t cry, don’t cry”
The rise and fall of Johnny Depp is a subject that will occupy film scholars for years to come.
The wildly successful star’s world was brought crashing down due to a very public conflict with his ex-wife, Amber Heard, and while he might have won the defamation case against her, the barrage of information that came to light during the trial did major damage to both actors’ careers.
Depp’s public image hasn’t recovered and, in all likelihood, it never will, which some people think is a tragedy, and others believe he’s finally getting his comeuppance.
The kooky actor’s relationship with controversy began long before he had even met his future wife, having been arrested multiple times for various acts of violence, including trashing a hotel room where he was staying with his then-girlfriend Kate Moss. A rumour swirled for years that Depp had once pushed Moss down a flight of stairs, but the model herself has denied this. The Oscar nominee has also come under fire for his behaviour on set, and one alleged victim of said behaviour is Lola Glaudini, who worked with him on the 2001 crime comedy, Blow.
Speaking on the Powerful Truth Angels podcast, the Criminal Minds star Lola Glaudini remembered receiving a torrent of verbal abuse from Depp during one particular scene. According to her, she was instructed by director Ted Demme to laugh loudly at Depp’s character after he delivered a particular line. As soon as the take ended, he walked up to her, jammed a finger in her face, and yelled (among other things), “Who the fuck do you think you are? Shut the fuck up. I’m out here, and I’m trying to fucking say my lines, and you’re fucking pulling focus. You fucking idiot”.
“First day, on the set, I’ve never met him,” she recalled. This was my first studio movie. I’ve just done indies until then. And I have the star who [sic] I have idolised, who I am so excited to work with, reamed me in my face. The only thing going through my head was, ‘Don’t cry, don’t cry, don’t cry’.”
Entertainment Weekly reached out to Depp’s representatives for comment, who denied Glaudini’s claims, saying, “Johnny always prioritises good working relationships with cast and crew, and this recounting differs greatly from the recollection of other members on set at the time”. The “other members” in question include Sam Sarker, who claimed in Variety that he didn’t hear Depp shout at Glaudini at all. He asserted that, as he was working in the movie’s sound department, he would have come across it.
Glaudini went on to allege that she was treated “like a pariah” after filming wrapped, as she had dared to speak out against the most powerful man on set. She has since been able to make a career for herself, but other people haven’t been so lucky. Gregg Brooks, a location manager who claimed that Depp was violent towards him on the set of City of Lies, struggled to find work after taking the actor to court.
Whatever you make of him or the supposed incident on the set of Blow, it is extremely worrying just how many allegations the man has faced across his career. With his return to acting on the horizon, we’ll have to wait and see if anybody else comes forward, or if he finally mends his ways.
